Gas-making apparatus.



E. B. BENHAIV'L GAS MAKING APPARATUS.

APPLICAHOH FILED JULY :4. 1911.

Pmtemrsd Apr: E, 191% HFZJS WEM i .E. B. BENHAM.

GAS MAKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 14. 19H.

' Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"hurrah ELIJ'AH BAILEY BENT-1AM,

as ea ns cribs.

01 NEW LONDON, CbNNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HYDRO- CAR-BON CONVERTER COMPANY, OFGNEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORP'QRATION 0F DELAWARE.

Application filed July 14, 1911.

which have been deprived of the greater" portion of their lighter hydrocarbons) distillate, fuel oil, and the like, and embodies improvements upon the apparatus illustrated in my application filed October 10, 1909, Sr. No. 523,043, new Patent No. 1,000,768, dated Aug. 15, 1911.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify gas making apparatus of the type referred to, to rendcrthe same more compact, and to render same cheaper in manufacture, more eflicient, more readily adaptable to different sizes of engines, more readily cleaned and more readily operated.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In said drawings:

Figure 1. shows a central vertical section of one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 shows a central horn zontal section of such apparatus;

Figs. 3 and i show on a smaller scale, vertical sections of an alternative form of apparatus; the section of Fig. 4 being taken at right angles to that of Fig. 3; these figures showing the gas-forming passage lined with porous material, Fig. 3 showing such gas passage without checkerwork, Fig. 4 showing it with checkerwork.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the gas making device of that figure provided with automatic means for regulating the supply of air; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apratus shown in Fig. 5.

In my Patent No. 1,000,768 above mentioned, I have describeda method of and apparatus for making gas from hydrocarbon oils, wherein a mixture of oil and air, the latter preferably heated, is projected into a chamber and caused to contact initially with a body of porous material (usu- Specification of Letters Patent,

.the combustion is carried out.

GAS-MAKING arraaa'ros.

Patented Apr. 9?, 1918.

Serial No. 638,485.

ally non-metallic, and usually a clayey or asbestos material) and thence to pass through a passage containing more material of the same nature, in which passage partial combustion of the mlxture of air and oil occurs with resulting formation of a gas consisting largely of carbon monoxid, hydrogen, methane, and illuminants. As stated in the specification of that patent, the so-called porous material with which the entering mixture of oil and air contacts. and in the presence of which the partial combustion occurs, exerts a material influence upon the character of the gas-forming reactions, causing such reactions to take place in such manner that deposits of carbon, tar or the .like are not formed, such porous material furthermore exerting a marked influence on the extent of combustion occurring in the apparatus, it being possible, by varying the extent of such porous material in a particular apparatus, to vary the extent to which In the apparatus specifically shown and described in said patent, the mixture of -oil, or oil vapor or gas, and air passes over and along surfaces of porous material such as referred to, but not through the interstices of a checkerwork of such material. I have since found that the apparatus operates more efficiently and with greater gas-forming capacity for equal sizes of apparatus, provided a suitable checker-work be located in the passage in which the internal combustion occurs, and provided that such apparatus be so constructed that undue restriction of the entering stream of air and oil does not occur. This multiplies the opportunities for gas-and-wall contact in a given length of flow. I have also found that the efficiency of the apparatus is increased bysuch a construction of it as results in a concentration of heat in the vicinity of the point at which the gas is taken off.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, and at first to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates an outer an inner casing; the annular space between these two casings constituting an admission and main internal-co bastion space of the apparatus, the interior of the inner casing 2 constituting a gas collecting space. In casing 1 there-is cored out a passage 3 for the circulation of a heating gas, such for example as the exhaust gases of an internal 'comcasing, and 2 designates bustion engine, such passage having an inlet connection 4; and an outlet connection 5 and having also one or more connections 6, normally closed, through'which the flame of a torch may be projected for initial heating up of the apparatus. The exhaust pipe I 7 leading from the outlet connection 5 is cuswhen suction is applied to th that is to say,-its bore tomarily surrounded with a casing 8 inclosing around pipe 7 a chamber for the heating of air to be supplied to the apparatus, and the casing 1 is customarily provided with a coredout duct 9 leading from the air heating chamber within casing 8 to the air-admission port of the mixing valve through which the incoming mixture of air and oil is delivered to the annular space betweencasings 1 and 2. 1 .do not limit myself to any par ticular construction of mixing valve, but the one shown is suitable, comprising a main body 10 screwing into a top orifice of easing 1 and having at its lower end a seat for an inwardly opening puppet valve 11, the valve comprising also a bonnet 12 in which is formed a chamber 13 for the passage of the entering air. Valve plug 11 is normally but will open apparatus, as hereinafter described. I customarily provide the bonnet 12 with ports 15, cehtrolled by a damper16,whereby vhen desired more or less cold air may be admitted to passage 13 to mix with the hot air from passage 9. The valve body 10 is provided with an exterior groove 17 from which ducts 18 lead to the interior bore of said valve body. This interior bore is formed as a Venturi tube; has the form of two placed base to base, and the held closed by a spring 1e truncated cones ducts 18 are located close to the point of greatest contraction of the bore; it having been found that the air current takes up oil more efliciently' when the oil is introduced at aboutthis point of greatest velocity of flow of the air. Oil is delivered to the groove 17 through an oil duct 19 provided in the boss 20 of easing 1 into which the.

valve body 10 screws, this oil duct 19 communicating with the groove 17 through a duct 21; and a needle valve 22 is provided to regulate the flow of oil through this duct 21.

At the bottom of easing 1 there is a large opening, normally closed by a bottom plate 23, through a central aperture of which the stem 24; of the inner casing 2, mr casing. being fixed in position casing 1 by reason of the provision, on this stem 24-, of a shoulder 25 resting upon bottom plate 23. A screw nut 26 serves to hold casing 2 stationary within casing 1.

The. annular space between casings 1 and 2 is filled to a greatier or less extent, according to circumstances, with a checkerwork of porous material such as above referred to.

11 have found that the most convenient and aeasve satisfactory checkerwork is composed of a series of small balls 27 of suitable material. These balls may vary in size, but one size which I have found suitable has a diameter of about one half inch. The material of these balls may be burnt clay or terra cotta, or a mixture of clay and graphite, such as is used, for example, in the making of crucibles; and various other materials may be employed, for example, asbestos more or less compacted. The surfaces of these balls may be glazed, though I consider it preferable to employ unglazed balls, in order that the external pores of their material may be open. Balls which Ihave used in the apparatus have been the ordinary unglazed clay marbles of commerce. For facility in removing t hQese balls from time to time, one or more openings, normally closed by screw plugs 28, are provided in the bottom plate 23. The ballsmay be replaced either through suclropenings, or by removing the valve body '10 and pouring them in through the opening in Which that valve body fits. As these balls may adhere more or less after long use, to facilitate their removal I provide the top of the inner casing 2 with ribs 29 and 'provi 5 the lower end of the stem 24: of this, casing 2 .with a handle 30 by means of which the casing 2 may be oscillated with reference to casing 1, so agitating the balls, breaking upany adhesion which may exist, and freeing them so that they will drop readily through the openings in bottom plate 23 when the plugs 28 normally closing such openings are removed.

Openings 31 are provided near the bottom of] easing 2, for the passage of the gas formed in the annular space surrounding said casing 2, into the interior of the casing 2; and a pipe 32 threaded into the lower end of the neck 21 of easing 2 and thence projecting up into the interior of said casing 2, is provided for taking off the gas.

Ordinarily, this apparatus will be used for supplying gas to internal combustion engines, the pipe 32, or the usual extension thereof, being connected to the fuel intake of the engine. Such engines, in their operation, produce suction suflicient-to draw the air and oil into the apparatus, opening the valve 11 to that end, and to draw the oil vapor and gas through the apparatus and out. through the pipe 32. The apparatus be ing thus operated normally under slight suction, there is no leakage of gas outward through any joints of the apparatus. However, the construction of the apparatus is such, as will be seen, that it is easy to form very tight joints.

To avoid possible flooding of the bore of the valve body 10 with oil during periods when the engine is operating under light load, such oil is preferably supplied through Iii eeaere However, this method of supplying the oil is a. mere optional detail and the oil may be supplied in other ways.

in case the apparatus be used for supplying gas to apparatus which does not produce suction to draw the oil and arr through the gas making apparatus, for example, in case such gas making apparatus is used for supplyin gas to gas burners, a suitable suctionproducing device may be connected to the gas delivery pipe 32; for example, a suction tan; or the air and oil may be supplied to the gas making apparatus under slight presure.

Since, above lstated, the area oithe porous surface exposed by the checkerwork to contact with the oil or oil vapor or gas, and air, passing through the apparatus, exerts a n'raterial influence upon the extent to which nl tion is carried out, any one size of us .pparatus is readily adapted to dider- 'ent sizes and styles of engine or other gasusing apparatus, by varying the number or size of the balls 27, so varying the area of exposed surface. It is not essential that the balls fill the annular gas-forming chamber of the apparatus to the height indicated in Fig. 1. In practice the height to which this annular gast'orming chamber Will be filled with balls 27, will depend upon the demand which the gas using apparatus normally makes. Thus, if the gas using apparatus be an internal combustion engine, and if such engine be relatively small, as compared tothe maxiinum gas making capacity of the gas making apparatus when nearly filled with balls, such gas making apparatus, when used for supplying gas to such relatively small engine, will have its annular gasforming chamber filled to a relatively low height with the balls 27; for example, it may not be filled with balls 27 to above the center line of the apparatus. With a proportionai'cly larger engine, or engine making a greats demand on the gasdorining apparatus, the gas forming passage will be filled a greater height with the balls 27. I consider it desirable, however, that a considerable open space be left between the valve 11 and the top of the chcckerwork, so that the entering stream will heat up somewhat gradually before reaching the point of initiation of combustion, and so that there may be adequate distribution of the entering current throughout the cross section of the passage, and so that there may be no choking at the point of entrance. The midture is, of course, passed through the apparatus at such rate that combustion does not ordinarily initiate at the point of entrance or until it has reached or passed into the checkerwork.

Owing to the spherical shape of the pas; sage between casings 1 and 2, and owing to the fact that heat generated in such passage is radiated in all directions, part of it being radiated directly toward the interior of casing 2, While another considerable portion of the beetle reflected from the inner Wall of easing 1 into the interior of easing 2, and 0W ing further to the fact that heat is abstracted from the interior of the casing2 only by the gas as it passes out, it follows that there is a progressive increase of temperature from the point where the mixture enters the checkerwork through the passage between the cas ings l and 2 and to the interior of easing 2, the temperature being highestat about the center of the interior of easing 2-Which point is, in effect, a focal point forheat generated in the apparatus. This insures thorough fixing of gas, the interior of easing 2 being a final fixing chamber.

The Walls of the passage between casings 1 and 2 may, if desired, be lined with porous material. This is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, in which figures 36 designates a lining for the inner surface of easing 1 and 37 designates a lining for the outer surface of easing 2, both of these linings being, usually, of porous material, such for example as earthenware, crucible material, etc. The

checkerwork may of course be omitted, particularly when the sides of the gas forming passage are lined with porous material, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4t; or when desired not only such lining may be employed, but also the checkerwork; as illustrated in Fig. l.

Of course, the various casings of the apparatus may have various constructions. In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated an alternative construction in which, while the number of parts are greater, the individual parts are of simpler form and are more readily cast, and may even be pressed or forged to shape. In this construction the outer casing is formed of members 1 and 1", secured together as shown, and a structurally separate outer member 1. The connections for passing the exhaust gas through the jacket and for passing the flame of a heating torchthrough the jacket, are located relatively lower than as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and ballles 38 are provided to deflect these gases upward and through the upper .portion of the jacket, thereby insuring the heating of the portion of the gas-making passage into which the'mixture first enters.

The operation of both forms of apparatus illustrated is substantially the same. In preliminary heating up of the apparatus, the

engine may be run on gasolene fer a time,

the exhaust of the engine being passed through the jacket; or the flame of a torch may be projected through the jacket, or alcohol or some other coml'iustible poured into the jacket and ignited, the heat of its combustion heating the apparatus. \Vhen said apparatus is sufficiently heated and the apparatus is connected to the inlet of the engine, air and oil enter through the mixing valve, and combine, owing to the heat of the apparatus, with resulting partial combustion, the products of this partial combustion passing into the interior of cas1ng2 wherein the temperature is highest, and thence passing out through pipe 32.

In the operation of this apparatus it has been found that the gas issuing through pipe 32 usually has a temperature higher than the temperature of the engine exhaust entering jacket 3. Although the converter will operate for a considerable time, supplying-gas to the engine, even though the flow of exhaust gas through the jacket be stopped, it is considered preferable for various reasons to conduct the passage of the exhaust gases through the jacket 3 throughout the operation of the apparatus, when practicable. The exhaust gases, in jacket 3, though having a lower temperature than the temperature of the gas issuing through pipe 32, has ordinarily a temperature considerably higher than that of the mixture entering at valve '11; and therefore the heat imparted from the gas in jacket 3 helps to raise the temperature of the entering mixture and to cause the combustion of such mixture to initiate at the proper point. The jacket 3 further serves to prevent radiation from the gas forming passage confining to the apparatus the heat generated therein. The temperature of the gas issuing through pipe 32 varies with the load on the engine, and the rate at which gas is generated and withdrawn from the apparatus. In one instance, the exhaust gas, entering at a had a temperature of 1210 F. and the exhaust gas issuing at 5 had a temperature of 11 l0 F., while the gas issuing through pipe 32 had a temperature of 1325 F. In another case, where gas was being made and withdrawn ata higher rate, and the engine operating under a greater. load, the exhaust entering at 4 had a temperature of 1325 F. and the gas issuing through pipe 32 had a temperature of 1660 F. These temperatures were determined by an electrical pyrometer of standard design and good reputation which had been carefully calibrated.

ltis. desirable in gas-making apparatus operating according to the process of my said Patent No. 1,000,768, that the supply of air shall be regulated in accordance with the temperature produced; which temperature is also dependent, of course, upon the eeaave 7 rate of fuel supply to the apparatus, so that regulation of the air supply according to variation of temperature inthe apparatus in effect regulates the supply of air substantially in accordance with the rate of fuel supply. To this end I employ a thermostatic device subjected to the temperature of the apparatus and which adjusts a valve controlling the air supply. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a gas making device such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, provided with such a thermostatic regulating device. In the construction shown I have located the thermostatic member (here shown as consisting of two strips of metal, 39 and 40-, having different rates of expansion, 40 being the strip having the greater rate of expansion) within the gas ofi'take pipe 32. I do not limit myself to the use of any particular thermostatic device, but the one shown is suitable. This thermostatic member will, of course, flex with increase of temperature, and to its end is connected a rod ll passing through a stuffing box 42 in the pipe 32, said rod 41 connected by suitable links 43, as shown, to a lever 44 connected to a valve 45 in the air supply duct 9. It will be seen that as the temperature of the apparatus rises, the thermostatic member 394L0 will open the valve 45, so that this valve will open during the initial heating up of the apparatus; and it will be seen that as the temperature of the apparatus rises this valve 45 will be opened more widely. As is indicated by the two temperatures above stated for difi'erent loads, the temperature of the apparatus varies more or less as the rate of gas production varies, that is to say, as the rate of oil supply varies. It will be seen that, with such variation of temperature, there is a corresponding automatic adjustment of the valve 45 to vary correspondingly the rate of air supply. This thermostatic device therefore insures that the rate of air supply shall never be for any considerable length of time, materially less than that required to produce the desired degree of partial combustion of the enteringmixture in the apparatus.

What I claim is 1. Gas producing apparatus comprising two casings, one within the other, said outer casing having on one side an opening, said inner easing having a neck of smaller di ameter than said opening, passing therethrough. said outer casing having a plate surrounding said neck and closing said opening, and means for admitting air and material to be vaporized to the space between said casings, said inner casing having perforations for the passage of gas into its in-- terior.

2. Gas producing apparatus comprising two spherical casings, one within the other, said outer casing having on one side an eaders enin said inner =':'I1j '1 havin a neck of am lei-diameter than'said opening, pass: mg therethrough, saidcuter casln having a plate surrounding said neck an closing said opening, and means for admitting air and material to be vaporized to the s are between said casings, said inner casing av ingperforations for the passage. of gas into its interior.

3. Gas producing apparatus coin rising two casings, one within the other, sai .outer casing having on one side an openin said inner casing having a neck of smal er di ameter than said opening, passing therethrough, said outer casing having a plate surroundin said neck and closing said opening, said p ate having in it holes normallyclosed, and means for admitting air and material to he vaporized to the space between said casings, said inner casing having perforations for the ,passage of gas into its interior.

4. Gas producing apparatus comprising outer two casings, one within the other, said casing having pn ones de an opemn said inner casing having .a neck of sma er diameter than said opening,passing therethrough, said outer casing having a plate surrounding said neck and closing said opening, and means for admitting air and material to be vaporized to the space between said casings, said inner casing having perforations for the assage of gas into its interior, and a gas 0 take conduitextendmg through the neck of said inner casing to the 1 interior of such inner casing.

5. Gas producing apparatus comprising two casings, one within the other, said outer casing having on one side an opening, said inner casing having a neck of smallervdiameter than said opening, passing there- 'through, said outer casing having a plate surrounding said neck and closing said open ing, and means for admitting air and material to be vaporized to the space between said casings, said inner gasing having per-- forations for the passage of gas into its in-' terior, snid -outer casing provided with a passage for the circulation of a heating f medium. I

'ameter than said epening, passing 6. Gas producing apparatus comprising two casings, one within the other, said outer casing having on one side an opening, said.

inner casing. havingfa neck of smaller diamster than said a passing there through, said outer casing having a. plate surrounding said neck and closing said open ing and means forjadmittingair and ma terial to be vaporized to the space betw said casinga'saidinner casing having perr rations for the passageof'gas into its ire H tenor, and a checkerworkin the passage he tween said casings.

'11. Gas producing apparatus semi-rising two casings, one within the other, said other e casing havingon one side an opeg, inner casing having a neck of smalier di {3,--

through, said outer casing having a p surrounding. said neck and closing opening, and meansfor admitting air and material to be vaporized to the space he tween said casings, said inner casing having 1 perforations for the passage of gas into'its interior, and a checkerwork' in the passage between said casings, comprising balls of porous material, said inner casing being rotatable' with respect to the outer casing and being provided with arib arranged-to engage said balls to agitate them-during rotation of the casing.

8. In a gas producing apparajtus', a suh- I stantially spherical outercasing provided with a heating jacket, an inner substantially spherical casing contained within and spaced away from said outer casingand: 1 1 a chamber in communication with the space between said casings, means for-introducing air and oil into said space andikmeans for withdrawing gas from said,chamher.

9.- In a gas producing apparatus, a substantially spherical outer casing provided with heating jacket, an inner substantially spherical casing contained within and spaced away from said outer casing and having a chamber in commumcatlon with BENHAM. I

the space between said casings, anassem- 

